July/August/September '15 Book List
JULY
Short Fiction: John Chu's the Water That Falls On You From Nowhere, David Herter's Islands Off the Coast of Capitola, 1978, Seanan McGuire's Velveteen Presents: Polychrome Vs. the Court of Public Opinion & Not Punching Anyone, Alan Gratz' Join, or Die & Kelly McCullough's the Totally Secret Origin of Foxman.
New Reads:
Katherine Addison's the Goblin Emperor (This quiet and slow-moving book avoids all the normal trappings of fantasy, high politics and yet its so good)
David Drake's the Sea Without a Shore
Paul Cornell's Severed Streets (craziest celebrity cameo ever)
Marie Brennan's A Natural History of Dragons: a Memoir by Lady Trent
Daniel Jose Older's Half Resurrection Blues
Lois McMaster Bujold's Penric's Demon (a Chalion novella)
Rachel Aaron's Nice Dragons Finish Last
Andre Norton's Beastmaster's World (an omnibus of the first two books for the series. I was surprised that not counting animal companions there are literally no women appearing outside the background in either story)
Harry Turtledove's the Wisdom of the Fox
Django Wexler's the Price of Valor
Rereads:
Sherwood Smith & Dave Trowbridge's Phoenix in Flight, Ruler of Naught & a Prison Unsought (revised e-book editions of Smith & Trowbridge's Exordium series. The revisions are more noticeable in the first couple books. Mostly in that originally the series had more of a drop you into everything and just get motivations and much of the world-bullding by inference. A bit more on the inner voice and exposition this time. Also dogs. Additional stuff involving dogs)
Graphic Novels/TPBs:
Shaeon Garrity/Jeffrey Wells' Skin Horse Vol. 5 (more mad science fall-out social work. Also cute, theme park robots)
Kurt Busiek/Benjamin Dewey/Jordie Bellaise/John Roshell's the Autumnlands: Tooth & Claw
David Schlner/Aaron Ginsburg/Wade McIntyre/Juan Jose Ryp's Clone: Second Generation
Dan Slott/Mike & Laura Allred's Silver Surfer: New Dawn (cute and funny cosmic adventures)
Various writers/artists collected in Deadpool Classic vol. 1 (the first couple mini-series and the early New Mutants appearance)
Brian Psehn/Gerry Duggan/Tony Moore's Deadpool: Dead Presidents (right there in the title. Wade vs. the undead Presidents of the United States)
Ann Nocenti/John Romita Jr/Al Williamson's Daredevil: Lone Stranger (Nocenti's Daredevil run is just straight up bonkers. This bit has the "Inferno" tie-in where New York literally goes to Hell. And later Daredevil & Spider-Man fight Mephisto. Also stuff with the Inhumans going on in the background. I'm a bit saddened that it doesn't have the issue where Daredevil fights Ultron while armed with a tree branch.)
Total: 21
AUGUST
Short Fiction: Isabel Yap's Milagroso & Michael Swanwick's the Night of the Salamander (Man, Tor better do a collection of these at some point)
New Reads:
Sharon Lee & Steve Miller's Liaden Universe Constellation Vol. 3 (I'd actually read a couple of these thru Baen's free collections)
Mike Carey's the Girl With All the Gifts (this is both one of the sadder & most hopefull at the same time apocalypse stories I can recall)
Naomi Novik's Uprooted
Brandon Sanderson's Sixth of Dusk
Jason Bulmahn (editor) Pathfinder Occult Adventures (Decided to start including rpg sourcebooks. At least the fatter main rules and supplements)
Rachel Aaron's One Good Dragon Deserves Another
Ilona Andrews' Magic Shift (Kate & Curran trying to begin their new life seperate from the Pack)
John Scalzi's the End of Everything
Emily St. John Mandel's Station Eleven (I take it back, THIS is the perfect balance of sadness/hope apocalypse story)
Larry Correia's Monster Hunter Nemesis (Correia may be more than a bit of cry-baby Liberterian butt head, but he writes good pulpy action.)
Lee Goldberg's the Walk
Marko Kloos' Terms of Enlistment, Lines of Departure & Angles of Attack (Some excellent shoot-em-up milfSF)
RJ Ross' Guitar Hero
Joe Abercrombie's Half a War
Rereads:
Sherwood Smith & Dave Trowbridge's the Rifter's Convenant & Throne of Kronos
Kim Newman's Anno-Dracula ($1 e-book sale, plus this edition has a partial annotation of some of the sources)
Graphic Novels/TPBs:
G. Willow Wilson/Takeshi Miyagawa/Maguerite Sauvage's Ms. Marvel Vol. 3: Crushed
Gene Luen Yang/Sonny Liew's the Shadow Hero
Pénélope Bagieu/Alexis Siegel (translator) Exquisite Corpse
Matt Fraction/Chris Eliopoulos/David Aja/Jordie Bellaire/Matt Hollingsworth/Francesco Francavilla's Hawkeye: Rio Bravo (with Clints' brother Barney)
Matt Fraction/Gabriel Bá/Cris Peter/Dustin Harbin's Casanova: Avarita
Paul Allor/Andy Kuhn/Nick Filardi/Ronda Pattison/Shawn Lee's TMNT: Mutanimals (A mutant cat & his mutant snapping turtle buddy decide to build a mutant animal army to stop an evil corporation (whose boss looks she is the literal Devil) from mutant animal experiments.)
Brian Clevinger/Scott Wegener/Anthony Clark/Jeff Powell's Atomic Robo Vol. 9: Knights of the Godlen Circle (A Steampunk/Western plus Doc Holiday)
Stjepan Sejic's Sunstone Vol. 3 (D'aaaaaaaw. Such adorable widdle BDSM lesbians)
Total: 28
SEPTEMBER
Short Fiction: Kendare Blake's the Dogs of Athens, Seth Dickinson's Please Undo This Hurt, Jeff Provine's Kiss From a Queen, Lindsay Smith's Kingmaker & Seanan McGuire's Velveteen Vs. the Melancholy of Autumn.
New Reads:
Scott Meyer's An Unwelcome Quest (three books in and I just lost interest in this series)
Terry Pratchett's the Shepard's Crown (GNU)
Carrie Vaughn's Kitty Saves the World (final "Kitty Norville" book ended up feeling a little too rushed and crammed)
Seanan McGuire's a Red-Rose Chain (Toby Daye: Diplomat is an odd concept)
Paul Cornell's Witches of Lytchford
Elaine Cunningham's Winter Witch (a Pathfinder tie-in novel. Her romantic pairing here feels a bit more forced than ones in previous D&D tie-in books)
Victor Milan's the Dinosaur Lords (feudal knights riding around on dinosaurs)
Ken St.Andre/Liz Danforth/James Peters (editors) Deluxe Tunnels & Trolls (I'm not sure what edition this actuall ends up being, sixth, seventh?)
Paula Goodlett/Walt Boyes (editor) Grantville Gazette vol. 59-61 (Volume 61 saw Goodlett stepping down to concentrate more on writing for Boyes)
Arianne "Tex" Thompson's Medicine For the Dead
Seth Dickinson's the Traitor Baru Comorant (I'm not sure what about this made me dislike it so much. But boy did it end up leaving me cold)
Ilona Andrews' Small Magics (an anthology of their short fiction)
Graphic Novels/TPBs:
Adam Warren's Empowered Vol. 9 (Emp gets summoned to sit before the Grand Super-Hero Leader Council over the fallout from her and Sistah Spooky's trip to Hell. Not surprisingly they are mostly a pack of assholes)
Christopher Priest/Various' Black Panther: the Complete Collection (Too. Many. Artistic. Changes.)
Ray Fawkes/Ben Templesmith/Dezi Sienty/Saida Temofonte's Gotham by Midnight: We Do Not Sleep (Gotham's supernatural occurance police squad. Also I really miss Fell)
Kate Beaton's Step Aside, Pops
David Willis' Dumbing of Age Vol. 4: Amazi-Girl Is Always Prepared For Anything
Josh Lesnick's You Suck
Total: 19
Short Fiction: John Chu's the Water That Falls On You From Nowhere, David Herter's Islands Off the Coast of Capitola, 1978, Seanan McGuire's Velveteen Presents: Polychrome Vs. the Court of Public Opinion & Not Punching Anyone, Alan Gratz' Join, or Die & Kelly McCullough's the Totally Secret Origin of Foxman.
New Reads:
Katherine Addison's the Goblin Emperor (This quiet and slow-moving book avoids all the normal trappings of fantasy, high politics and yet its so good)
David Drake's the Sea Without a Shore
Paul Cornell's Severed Streets (craziest celebrity cameo ever)
Marie Brennan's A Natural History of Dragons: a Memoir by Lady Trent
Daniel Jose Older's Half Resurrection Blues
Lois McMaster Bujold's Penric's Demon (a Chalion novella)
Rachel Aaron's Nice Dragons Finish Last
Andre Norton's Beastmaster's World (an omnibus of the first two books for the series. I was surprised that not counting animal companions there are literally no women appearing outside the background in either story)
Harry Turtledove's the Wisdom of the Fox
Django Wexler's the Price of Valor
Rereads:
Sherwood Smith & Dave Trowbridge's Phoenix in Flight, Ruler of Naught & a Prison Unsought (revised e-book editions of Smith & Trowbridge's Exordium series. The revisions are more noticeable in the first couple books. Mostly in that originally the series had more of a drop you into everything and just get motivations and much of the world-bullding by inference. A bit more on the inner voice and exposition this time. Also dogs. Additional stuff involving dogs)
Graphic Novels/TPBs:
Shaeon Garrity/Jeffrey Wells' Skin Horse Vol. 5 (more mad science fall-out social work. Also cute, theme park robots)
Kurt Busiek/Benjamin Dewey/Jordie Bellaise/John Roshell's the Autumnlands: Tooth & Claw
David Schlner/Aaron Ginsburg/Wade McIntyre/Juan Jose Ryp's Clone: Second Generation
Dan Slott/Mike & Laura Allred's Silver Surfer: New Dawn (cute and funny cosmic adventures)
Various writers/artists collected in Deadpool Classic vol. 1 (the first couple mini-series and the early New Mutants appearance)
Brian Psehn/Gerry Duggan/Tony Moore's Deadpool: Dead Presidents (right there in the title. Wade vs. the undead Presidents of the United States)
Ann Nocenti/John Romita Jr/Al Williamson's Daredevil: Lone Stranger (Nocenti's Daredevil run is just straight up bonkers. This bit has the "Inferno" tie-in where New York literally goes to Hell. And later Daredevil & Spider-Man fight Mephisto. Also stuff with the Inhumans going on in the background. I'm a bit saddened that it doesn't have the issue where Daredevil fights Ultron while armed with a tree branch.)
Total: 21
AUGUST
Short Fiction: Isabel Yap's Milagroso & Michael Swanwick's the Night of the Salamander (Man, Tor better do a collection of these at some point)
New Reads:
Sharon Lee & Steve Miller's Liaden Universe Constellation Vol. 3 (I'd actually read a couple of these thru Baen's free collections)
Mike Carey's the Girl With All the Gifts (this is both one of the sadder & most hopefull at the same time apocalypse stories I can recall)
Naomi Novik's Uprooted
Brandon Sanderson's Sixth of Dusk
Jason Bulmahn (editor) Pathfinder Occult Adventures (Decided to start including rpg sourcebooks. At least the fatter main rules and supplements)
Rachel Aaron's One Good Dragon Deserves Another
Ilona Andrews' Magic Shift (Kate & Curran trying to begin their new life seperate from the Pack)
John Scalzi's the End of Everything
Emily St. John Mandel's Station Eleven (I take it back, THIS is the perfect balance of sadness/hope apocalypse story)
Larry Correia's Monster Hunter Nemesis (Correia may be more than a bit of cry-baby Liberterian butt head, but he writes good pulpy action.)
Lee Goldberg's the Walk
Marko Kloos' Terms of Enlistment, Lines of Departure & Angles of Attack (Some excellent shoot-em-up milfSF)
RJ Ross' Guitar Hero
Joe Abercrombie's Half a War
Rereads:
Sherwood Smith & Dave Trowbridge's the Rifter's Convenant & Throne of Kronos
Kim Newman's Anno-Dracula ($1 e-book sale, plus this edition has a partial annotation of some of the sources)
Graphic Novels/TPBs:
G. Willow Wilson/Takeshi Miyagawa/Maguerite Sauvage's Ms. Marvel Vol. 3: Crushed
Gene Luen Yang/Sonny Liew's the Shadow Hero
Pénélope Bagieu/Alexis Siegel (translator) Exquisite Corpse
Matt Fraction/Chris Eliopoulos/David Aja/Jordie Bellaire/Matt Hollingsworth/Francesco Francavilla's Hawkeye: Rio Bravo (with Clints' brother Barney)
Matt Fraction/Gabriel Bá/Cris Peter/Dustin Harbin's Casanova: Avarita
Paul Allor/Andy Kuhn/Nick Filardi/Ronda Pattison/Shawn Lee's TMNT: Mutanimals (A mutant cat & his mutant snapping turtle buddy decide to build a mutant animal army to stop an evil corporation (whose boss looks she is the literal Devil) from mutant animal experiments.)
Brian Clevinger/Scott Wegener/Anthony Clark/Jeff Powell's Atomic Robo Vol. 9: Knights of the Godlen Circle (A Steampunk/Western plus Doc Holiday)
Stjepan Sejic's Sunstone Vol. 3 (D'aaaaaaaw. Such adorable widdle BDSM lesbians)
Total: 28
SEPTEMBER
Short Fiction: Kendare Blake's the Dogs of Athens, Seth Dickinson's Please Undo This Hurt, Jeff Provine's Kiss From a Queen, Lindsay Smith's Kingmaker & Seanan McGuire's Velveteen Vs. the Melancholy of Autumn.
New Reads:
Scott Meyer's An Unwelcome Quest (three books in and I just lost interest in this series)
Terry Pratchett's the Shepard's Crown (GNU)
Carrie Vaughn's Kitty Saves the World (final "Kitty Norville" book ended up feeling a little too rushed and crammed)
Seanan McGuire's a Red-Rose Chain (Toby Daye: Diplomat is an odd concept)
Paul Cornell's Witches of Lytchford
Elaine Cunningham's Winter Witch (a Pathfinder tie-in novel. Her romantic pairing here feels a bit more forced than ones in previous D&D tie-in books)
Victor Milan's the Dinosaur Lords (feudal knights riding around on dinosaurs)
Ken St.Andre/Liz Danforth/James Peters (editors) Deluxe Tunnels & Trolls (I'm not sure what edition this actuall ends up being, sixth, seventh?)
Paula Goodlett/Walt Boyes (editor) Grantville Gazette vol. 59-61 (Volume 61 saw Goodlett stepping down to concentrate more on writing for Boyes)
Arianne "Tex" Thompson's Medicine For the Dead
Seth Dickinson's the Traitor Baru Comorant (I'm not sure what about this made me dislike it so much. But boy did it end up leaving me cold)
Ilona Andrews' Small Magics (an anthology of their short fiction)
Graphic Novels/TPBs:
Adam Warren's Empowered Vol. 9 (Emp gets summoned to sit before the Grand Super-Hero Leader Council over the fallout from her and Sistah Spooky's trip to Hell. Not surprisingly they are mostly a pack of assholes)
Christopher Priest/Various' Black Panther: the Complete Collection (Too. Many. Artistic. Changes.)
Ray Fawkes/Ben Templesmith/Dezi Sienty/Saida Temofonte's Gotham by Midnight: We Do Not Sleep (Gotham's supernatural occurance police squad. Also I really miss Fell)
Kate Beaton's Step Aside, Pops
David Willis' Dumbing of Age Vol. 4: Amazi-Girl Is Always Prepared For Anything
Josh Lesnick's You Suck
Total: 19